Claire McLaughlin

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Claire Small (Née McLaughlin)
Birth nameClaire McLaughlin
Date of birth (1991-11-21) 21 November 1991 (age 31)
Place of birth Bushmills, Northern Ireland
University Queen's University Belfast
Occupation(s)Doctor
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre, Back Row
Current team Ulster, Ireland
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
. Ballymoney
Cooke
Queen's University
Old Belvedere R.F.C
()
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
. Ulster ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2015–IRFU flag.svg  Ireland

Claire Small (née McLaughlin) (born 21 November 1991) is a women's rugby union player from Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and a qualified doctor. She plays for Ulster Rugby and the Ireland women's national rugby union team as a back row, having previously played in the centre. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Small (née McLaughlin) was born on 21 November 1991 [2] and is the daughter of John McLaughlin, a beef farmer, and his wife Pamela, a teacher. She has two brothers. [3] She grew up on a farm. [3] She was educated at Coleraine High School in Coleraine, County Londonderry. [3] After this she studied medicine at Queen's University, Belfast. [3]

Career

Following graduation, she spent her foundation year as a junior doctor at Mater Infirmorum Hospital, Belfast. [3] At the hospital, her colleagues gave her the nickname of "McSwaplin", since she often swapped shifts at the hospital to accommodate her rugby schedule. [4] Claire has been at the forefront of the NHS battle against COVID19 [5] working the Ulster Hospital A&E Department throughout the pandemic. [6]

McLaughlin's introduction to rugby was through playing tag rugby at school, and she later joined Ballymoney RFC. After moving to Belfast, McLaughlin started playing for Cooke WRFC before changing to Queen's University RFC. [7] She made her debut for Ulster aged 18 while still at university. [3] She made her debut for the Ireland women's national rugby union team in 2015. [3] She was selected for Ireland's 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup squad as one of only two Ulster players selected. [4] McLaughlin was named as a substitute for Ireland's opening match against the Australia women's national rugby union team at the UCD Bowl in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. [8]

Claire is currently recovering and rehabbing from a serious ankle injury. [9]

Personal life

McLaughlin is a Christian. [10] While playing rugby, she wears wrist tape with "AO1" on it to give thanks to God for her career. [10] McLaughlin is also a trained pianist, [11] having played the keyboard and organ in church. [3] Mclaughlin married in the summer of 2021 [12] to Jonny Small and goes by the name of Claire Small (née McLaughlin)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coleraine</span> Town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Coleraine is a town and civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is 55 miles (89 km) northwest of Belfast and 30 miles (48 km) east of Derry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections. It is part of Causeway Coast and Glens district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulster Rugby</span> Rugby union team in island of Ireland

Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the Irish regional pool of the United Rugby Championship and in the European Rugby Champions Cup, each of which they have won once. Ulster were the first Irish team and the first team outside England and France to win the European Cup in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballymena Academy</span> Grammar school in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Ballymena Academy is a mixed gender, voluntary grammar school in the market town of Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1828 as a small provincial school for children in the town and surrounding agricultural hinterland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Trimble</span> Rugby player

Andrew Trimble is a former Irish rugby union player who played for Ulster and represented Ireland at international level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby union in Ireland</span> Third most popular form of football in Ireland, organised on an all-island basis

Rugby union is a popular team sport on the island of Ireland, organised on an all-Ireland basis, including players and teams from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Its governing body, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), was founded in 1879, making it the third oldest rugby union in the world after the RFU (England) and the SRU (Scotland).

Angela Platt is a former Ireland women's field hockey international goalkeeper. Between 2000 and 2006 she made 75 senior appearances for Ireland. She represented Ireland at the 2002 Women's Hockey World Cup. She is also a former Northern Ireland women's football international goalkeeper. Between 2010 and 2017 she served as executive manager of the Ulster Hockey Union. In 2017 she was appointed general manager of the Northern Cricket Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast Harlequins</span> School in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Belfast Harlequins is a multi-sports club located off the Malone Road in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. The club name provides the overall umbrella for rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey, and squash. The club is associated on and off the field with Methodist College Belfast (MCB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Fitzpatrick</span> Ireland international rugby union player

Justin Michael Fitzpatrick is an Irish former rugby union player who most recently was head coach of the Houston SaberCats of Major League Rugby (MLR). He previously played for London Irish, Castres Olympique, Dungannon RFC & Ulster. He had also held several other coaching positions, including head coach of Dungannon RFC and the Seattle Saracens, and assistant coach of the United States national rugby union team.

The Irish Universities Rugby Union (IURU) is the representative body for University Rugby Union in Ireland. The Union was established in 1904 and currently consists of the following members; University College Dublin RFC, Dublin University FC, Queen's University RFC, University College Cork RFC, NUI Galway R.F.C., Maynoooth University R.F.C., University of Ulster Coleraine RFC, Dublin City University In addition University of Limerick annually compete in IURU competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Humphreys (rugby union)</span> Ireland international rugby union player

David Humphreys MBE is a former Irish rugby union player. He played 72 times for Ireland, scoring 560 points, including 6 tries, and at the time of his international retirement was Ireland's most capped out-half. He played his club rugby for London Irish and Ulster, winning the 1998-99 Heineken Cup, the 2004 Celtic Cup and the 2005–06 Celtic League with the latter. Since retiring as a player he has served as director of rugby for Ulster and Gloucester

Coleraine Cricket Club is a cricket club in Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, playing in North West Senior League Premiership. They are affiliated with the North West Cricket Union and Cricket Ireland. The club was founded as the cricket section of Coleraine Rugby Football Club in 1958 and later merged with the University of Ulster at Coleraine team.

Ashleigh Orchard is an Irish female rugby union player and coach. She has made 87 appearances for Ireland Sevens in the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series, and represented Ireland at the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2014 and 2017.

Grace Davitt is an Irish female rugby union player and coach. She was in Ireland's 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup squad in France. She also played in two previous World Cup's in 2006 and 2010. Davitt was a member of the 2013 Women's Six Nations Championship team. She played for Ulster and Leinster, and has coached at Cooke RFC, Malone RFC and Queen's University RFC in the women's All-Ireland League. She was appointed backs coach of Ulster Women in July 2023.

Claire Molloy is an Ireland women's rugby union international from Galway. Molloy represented Ireland at the 2010, 2014 and 2017 Women's Rugby World Cups. At the 2014 tournament she was a member of the Ireland team that defeated New Zealand and she captained Ireland at the 2017 tournament. She was also a member of the Ireland teams that won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships. She is also an Ireland women's rugby sevens international and captained the Ireland team at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens. Molloy also played ladies' Gaelic football for Galway and featured in the 2005 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship final.

Ilse van Staden is a South African-born Ireland women's rugby union player born in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.

Katie Fitzhenry is a women's rugby union player from Coolcotts in Wexford, County Wexford, Republic of Ireland. She plays as a centre for Blackrock College RFC, Leinster Rugby, the Ireland women's national rugby union team and the Ireland women's national rugby sevens team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill McKay (rugby union)</span> British Lions & Ireland international rugby union player

James William McKay was an Irish rugby union player who played for Ireland, the British Lions and the Barbarians during the 1940s and 1950s.

Claire Boles is an Irish rugby player from Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh. She plays for Railway Union, Ulster and Ireland. She plays for the Ireland women's national rugby union team and the Ireland women's national rugby sevens team. She is a student based in Dublin.

Chloe Pearse is an Irish rugby player from Limerick. She plays for UL Bohemians, Munster Rugby and the Ireland women's national rugby union team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009–10 Ulster Rugby season</span> Provincial professional playing season

The 2009–10 Ulster Rugby season was Ulster's 16th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and their first under director of rugby David Humphreys and head coach Brian McLaughlin.

References

  1. O'Reilly, Peter (29 January 2017). "Hard work pays off for McLaughlin". The Times. Retrieved 9 November 2017.(subscription required)
  2. "Claire McLaughlin". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Meet Belfast doctor Claire McLaughlin lining out for Irish rugby". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  4. 1 2 "McLaughlin Has Remedy At The Ready For World Cup Fever y". IRFU. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  5. "'I could never have imagined being involved in something like this'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  6. ""It maybe feels like we don't deserve all of this... It hasn't hit the surge yet" - Dr Claire McLaughlin". SportsJOE.ie. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  7. "Claire McLaughlin Q&A". Queen's University. 9 August 2017. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  8. McKenna, Micheal (9 August 2017). "Ireland kick-off Women's Rugby World Cup in Dublin tonight". Armagh I. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  9. "McLaughlin setting herself small goals". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Belfast doctor ready for Women's Rugby World Cup challenge". The Irish News. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  11. Kiely, Ben (13 February 2017). "WATCH: Irish rugby star keeps airport goers entertained with one of her many talents". SportsJOE.ie. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  12. "Login • Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 19 August 2021.{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)